ZERO HOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 19 (Supplement)

ZERO HOUR

Alma Rubens was born in San Francisco, California. When a child Alma had dreams of seeing her name in electric lights as a dramatic star. Miss Rubens’s first screen appearance was with Douglas Fairbanks as leading lady in “The Half Breed.” She is one of the few stars who has never had the fatiguing experience of “gate crashing” as an extra. The charming actress has visited many parts of the world, including Canada, England, Germany, France, and the Orient, to broaden her outlook and assist in the visualisation of her roles. Miss Rubens is interested in short story writing; and particularly in simplicity of style and the beauty of words which express unaffectedly the thought of the writer. Her first role this season is in the Fox production, “Marriage License.” She has just begun her role in “The Heart of Salome.”

Among the players of the stage and screen who claim odd beginnings for their careers is Marcia Harris, character actress in Frank Tuttle’s latest Paramount production. “Love ’em and Leave ’em.” Having played about everything from Duchess to Nubian slaves, Mrs. Harris confesses she made her stage debut as a man. Evelyn Brent, Lawrence Gray and Louise Brooks are the featured cast.

Love aboard creaky wind-jammers in terrific storms, in moonlit gardens at midnight, in secret rendezvous, mid hostile pirates far out on the Pacific, on the narrow stfeets of quaint New Orleans—Frank Lloyd’s “The Eagle of the Sea,” a spectacular photo-play, is replete with romance and love interest. In this story of old Louisiana and the Mexican Gulf, Florence Vidor portrays dainty Louise Lestron, toast of New Orleans, while Ricardo Cortez, Paramount’s screen cavalier, enacts Jean Lafitte, historical pirate leader of the Spanish Main. While the picture fairly bristles with thrills and adventure, its love scenes, too, will be sure to attract attention. According to those who have already viewed it, both Miss Vidor and Cortez are said to do their best work in this production.

Not content with makeshift properties, when the real thing was available Rex Ingram went off to Europe to film the actual scenes in “The Magician,” «his latest triumph for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. With Alice Terry and a cast of International players, he has succeeded in making a worthy successor to “Mare Nostrum,” which was also filmed abroad. The story is quite different, and was photographed in France, Italy and Switzerland. Alice Terry, the leading lady in so many of Rex Ingram’s successes, never looked more beautiful, and has wistful appeal and romantic charm. Playing opposite her is a newcomer to the screen, Ivan Petrovich, a handsome young Serbian, discovered by Ingram, who predicts a wonderful future for him. Paul Wegener, has the title role, and gives a superbly villainous characterisation. The flair for weird effect tempered by the unmistakable genius that characterises the work of Rex Ingram, makes “The Magician,” the most arresting of his contributions to the entertainment of the movie-loving public.